The Master Mosaic Artists of 2026
Here are the fifteen students who have completed their professional training at the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli.
Fifteen students from the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli have, at the end of the 2025/2026 academic year, obtained the professional qualification of Master Mosaic Artist. They are: Sasha Anisimova, Irene Calderini, Francesca Chionna, Matilde Colli, Andrea Corradini, Chiara De Stefano, Eugenia Dutikova, Adriana Gasparotto, Alexandra-Oana Gemanar, Giada Giaconi, Giulia Menegon, Jacopo Mingozzi, Veronica Pessotto, Spyridon Votsis and Nataliia Vyshnevska.
The ceremony that has just concluded at Palazzo La Loggia in Spilimbergo was dedicated to them, during which they were presented with certificates marking the completion of a three-year course of study at the School. Amidst the celebrations of family and friends, each student emotionally received their Master Mosaic Artist certificate, accompanied by the customary photograph. The Class of 2026 is a close-knit group, where differences in age and nationality posed no problem, as in the workshop, alongside the teachers, with hammer and tesserae in hand, everyone is simply a student: they come from Friuli Venezia Giulia, from Gemona del Friuli, Gorizia, San Quirino, Brugnera, Campoformido, San Daniele and even Spilimbergo, as well as further afield from Venice, Treviso, Cremona, Great Britain, Russia, Romania, Greece and Ukraine.
They are not, therefore, a select few, but skilled craftspeople, ready to enter the world of work: many of them, incidentally, have already secured placements to begin working straight away in Friulian mosaic workshops. From school to the workplace, but not without a few well-deserved days’ holiday in between: in fact, it was only yesterday that they completed the exams assessing their preparation and the skills they have acquired.
“It makes us proud,” emphasised Stefano Lovison, president of the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli, “to know that new prospects are opening up for these new Master Mosaicists, who have shown determination, motivation and a sense of responsibility throughout their training.”
Also present at the ceremony was the mayor of Spilimbergo, Enrico Sarcinelli, who, whilst congratulating them and wishing them a bright future, urged them to always carry Spilimbergo in their hearts. Several other officials were present, representing the many organisations that today make up the Consortium for the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli; on behalf of many municipalities in the Pordenone area, best wishes were conveyed by Giuliano Cescutti, president of the Comunità di Montagna delle Prealpi Friulane Orientali (Mountain Community of the Eastern Friulian Pre-Alps). Director Gian Piero Brovedani expressed his thanks on three counts: firstly, to the teachers who, with such passion, continue to pass on the artisanal and artistic knowledge that was the very reason the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli was founded 104 years ago; to the students who can proudly say they have achieved this coveted milestone; and to the families who have backed and supported their decision to enrol at the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli and to explore the art of mosaic-making.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the Award dedicated to Nane Zavagno, an artist who recently passed away and who, in 1951, received his certificate as a Master Mosaicist from the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli itself. Strongly championed by his son Antonio, this prize is aimed at students on the third-year course, who were asked to create a mosaic inspired by and interpreting Zavagno’s poetics and expressive forms. Three students were recognised: Sasha Anisimova, winner of the first prize, followed by Giulia Menegon and Francesca Chionna.
The mosaics created for the Zavagno Prize by those who, as of today, are officially Master Mosaic Artists, will be on display in a dedicated exhibition within Mosaico&Mosaici 2026, the annual exhibition of the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli, which opens on 31 July.
June 18, 2026
